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loses
1 dictionary results for: loses
American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
lose       (lōōz)  Pronunciation Key 
v.   lost (lôst, lŏst), los·ing, los·es

v.   tr.
  1. To be unsuccessful in retaining possession of; mislay: He's always losing his car keys.
    1. To be deprived of (something one has had): lost her art collection in the fire; lost her job.
    2. To be left alone or desolate because of the death of: lost his wife.
    3. To be unable to keep alive: a doctor who has lost very few patients.
    4. To let (oneself) become unable to find the way.
    5. To remove (oneself), as from everyday reality into a fantasy world.
    6. To elude or outdistance: lost their pursuers.
    7. To be outdistanced by: chased the thieves but lost them.
  3. To be unable to keep control or allegiance of: lost his temper at the meeting; is losing supporters by changing his mind.
  4. To fail to win; fail in: lost the game; lost the court case.
  5. To fail to use or take advantage of: Don't lose a chance to improve your position.
  6. To fail to hear, see, or understand: We lost the plane in the fog. I lost her when she started speaking about thermodynamics.
    1. To let (oneself) become unable to find the way.
    2. To remove (oneself), as from everyday reality into a fantasy world.
    3. To elude or outdistance: lost their pursuers.
    4. To be outdistanced by: chased the thieves but lost them.
  8. To rid oneself of: lost five pounds.
  9. To consume aimlessly; waste: lost a week in idle occupations.
  10. To wander from or become ignorant of: lose one's way.
    1. To elude or outdistance: lost their pursuers.
    2. To be outdistanced by: chased the thieves but lost them.
  12. To become slow by (a specified amount of time). Used of a timepiece.
  13. To cause or result in the loss of: Failure to reply to the advertisement lost her the job.
  14. To cause to be destroyed. Usually used in the passive: Both planes were lost in the crash.
  15. To cause to be damned.

v.   intr.
  1. To suffer loss.
  2. To be defeated.
  3. To operate or run slow. Used of a timepiece.

Phrasal Verb(s):
lose out
To fail to achieve or receive an expected gain.

Idiom(s):
lose it Slang
  1. To lose control; blow up.
  2. To become deranged or mentally disturbed.
  3. To become less capable or proficient; decline.

Idiom(s):
lose out on
To miss (an opportunity, for example).

Idiom(s):
lose time
  1. To operate too slowly. Used of a timepiece.
  2. To delay advancement.

[Middle English losen, from Old English losian, to perish, from los, loss; see leu- in Indo-European roots.]

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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